Man who raped a young girl and a woman and sexually abused another must go to prison for six years

A rapist who abused three defenseless young women has been sentenced to six years in prison.

22-year-old Darren Dennett specifically chose victims who were strangers to him or whom he barely knew.

The first was a woman who was travelling for the first time in April 2020 accompanied by her boyfriend.

Dennett eventually ended up alone with her on an estate in Polmont in Stirlingshire.

Although she protested loudly and asked him to stop, he continued to rape her.

Dennett subsequently sexually assaulted the second victim, whom he had only known for about a week, in Falkirk, also in Stirlingshire, in May 2020.

Only when someone knocked on the door did he stop attacking her.

Dennett eventually raped a 15-year-old girl in a house in Falkirk in October 2022.

She had escaped from a care facility where she was staying.

Dennett forced himself on the teenager after repeatedly harassing her for sex.

He was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday.

Dennett had previously been found guilty on all three counts in a trial in Edinburgh.

Lord Harrower told Dennett that all the crimes bore “striking similarities”.

The judge said the 15-year-old rape victim wrote an emotional statement describing the “psychological impact” the attack had on her.

Lord Harrower added that he had “no doubt” that the other two young women had been similarly affected.

He also said that, given his age, the sentence should be less severe than it would have been for an older person.

Dennett was also placed on the sex offender list for an indefinite period of time.

Detective Inspector Forbes Wilson, of the Forth Valley Public Protection Unit, said: “Dennett must now face the consequences of his actions and will be monitored for life.

“I commend the strength the women have shown in reporting his crimes and throughout the legal process. I hope the outcome brings them justice as they move on with their lives.

“Police Scotland is committed to tackling sexual crime and bringing those responsible to justice. If you have been a victim of such crime, please come forward and report it, regardless of when it happened. You will be fully supported in doing so by our specially trained officers and partner agencies.”